Combination match stand and snuffer



Oct. 7, 1941 l. H. DUBE 2,258,004,

COMBINATION MATCH STAND AND SNUFFER Filed Nov. 21, '1958 v I v fl, fig... g. 3.

[Sadore ffflube INVENTOR Patented Oct. 7, 1941 2,258,004. COMBINATION MA TCH STAND AND UFFER Isadore H. Dube, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Hamilton Match Company, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 21, 1938, Serial No. 241,630

6 Claims. 31.: 206-31) This invention relates to a combination match stand and snuffer.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character referred to, which includes a safety feature in the form of a snufier so. designed as to offer no objectionable interference with the use of matches carried by the stand, and which will efiectively and automatically extinguish any flame in the match unit thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination match stand and snuffer of a character such that its physical structure affords excellent advertising possibilities, in addition to the safety feature mentioned.

A further object is to provide a device of the character stated, having the advantages related above, and which is simplified and fully developed in its details so that manufacturing costs may be reduced to a practical minimum.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the combination match stand and snuffer, embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a diametral cross-sectional view of a match unit of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental cross-sectional view of the snuifer arrangement. I

Fig. 4 is a modified form of snuffer.

With reference to the drawing, the character 5 indicates a base, upon which is mounted an upright 6 in the form of, a spike or shaft havin at its upper end a means for holding in place a match unit '1. In the preferred form of the invention, the individual matches 8 of the unit are inverted, so that their heads 9 are directed downwardly as illustrated. Beneath the match heads is the snuffer l0, which is yieldingly supported in any suitable manner so as to afford access to the matches when the snuffer is tilted downwardly by the use of the finger, as indicated at. 12 of Fig. 1. The snufier is so arranged that it will snap into position about the match heads when the finger is removed therefrom.

In the preferred form of the device herein disclosed, the base may be convex or cupped in its upper surface, to provide an ash tray or receptacle. This of course is optional. The spike or shaft 6 may be of metal or other suitable material, with its lower end embedded in or otherwise fixed to the base 5. At the top of the shaft is the attaching means for the match unit, and in its simplest form it may comprise a pointed screw l3. A shoulder l4 may be located at the base of the screw, if desired. It should be understood that the screw is but one of many means that could be resorted to for attaching the match unit 1 to the top of shaft 6, and the invention accordingly is not to be limited to the use of the particular expedient disclosed, except as it may be specified definitely in the appended claims. he specified definitely in the appended claims.

- The match unit may comprise a body l5 of wood or other suitable material, preferably in the shape of a disc, the periphery N5 of which may afford a mounting for the matches which extend axially in a common direction to form a substantial cylinder having its upper end closed by the body l5. The matches are adapted to be easily torn or detached from the cylinder, by swinging them outward and tearing them off against the lower edge of the band or ring H. The band or ring may be of paper, metal, or other material, and its exposed or outer surface is adapted to carry one or more advertisements. A peripheral flange l8 may be provided on the bodylii, to overlie'the upper ends of the matches. The matches, of course, may be initially in slitted sheet form, like the pad matches in common usage, but in sheets sufficiently long to encircle the body Hi. The match sheets may be glued, tacked, or otherwise applied to the body of the match unit..

In the under side of the body I5, a central bore ordepression 19 may be provided, to enable the screw l3 to be easily started into the material of the body by rotation of the match unit atop the shaft 6.. The upper face of body may carry a suitable phosphorus composition 20 upon which the .matches may be frictionally ignited.

The snuffer [0 may consist of a shallow cup-; shaped disc or plate of metal or other suitable material, having an upturned peripheral flange or wall 2| to encircle the heads of all the matches of the unit I. Preferably, though not necessarily, the plate may be provided with an annular trough 22 for reception of the match heads, by simply pressing the central portion of the plate upwardly so as to form the convexity 23. A central aperture 24 of the snufier plate slidably receives the shaft or spike 6, and by means of a spring 25 the snuffer plate is yieldingly urged upwardly along the spike so that, with the match unit in position, the snuffer plate contacts the match heads and encircles them as previously explained. The spring or an equivalent yielding means may be designed to act upon the snuffer in various ways, the disclosure herein being illustrative of one way only. Here, the upper end of the spring is anchored to the snufier at 26, while the lower end thereof is anchored to the shaft or spike at 21. The anchorage at 21 may beefiected by lodging the lowermost coil of the spring in an annular groove 28 formed in the shaft. It should be understood that the spring in the present instance is a compression spring, but that any equivalent means may be furnished for governing the desired movement and function of the snufier element.

From the foregoing description, it should readily be appreciated that the device of the invention has been reduced to the simplest possible form, so that the manufacture thereof may be attended by a minimum of effort and expense. The assembly of the device is rapid and simple, and does not require the services of skilled workmen. As an advertising novelty, the device has merit and exceptional possibilities, since the stands exclusive of the match unit may be rented to establishments that serve the public, whereas the match units with advertisements on the bands H or elsewhere, may be supplied to such establishments free of cost, forplacing the advertised goods in the establishments and before prospective purchasers of the goods.

In the modified form of snufi'er element illustrated by Fig. 4, the resilient means necessary for permittingtilting thereof is built into the snufier, thereby to eliminate springs such as 25. Accordingly, the ring-shaped element 39, having the upstanding annular wall, 3| and trough, 32, may be. mounted upon or near the edge 33 of a central insert 34 made of soft rubber or other resilient material. A hub 25 provides for the relationship to the match unit shown in Fig. 1. The snuiferof Fig. 4 is not slidable along the shaft or spike, but it may be tilted as in Fig. l nevertheless, due to the resiliency of the insert or center piece 34.

In both forms of the snuffer, it is quite desirable, for maximum eihciency and speed of the snuffing function, to provide a cone or convexity such as 34 or 23 extending well into the interior of the match unit, thereby to limit the amount of oxygen available to. support combustion of the match unit when accidentally or inadvertantly ignited. The portions 34 and 23 may serve also to guide thetrough of the snuifer into proper snufling relationship with the match heads. The primary function of the snuffer, of course, is to cut off the supply ofoxygen or air to the match heads and the interior of the match unit, wherefore in any embodiment or modification of the invention, the shape of the snuifer, and of the match unit, is immaterial so long as they are complementary to the extent of affording the desired action.

Various modifications and changes in the structural details may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of an upright shaft having a free end, a match unit secured to the shaft adjacent to said free end, said unit including headed matches extending lengthwise of the upright shaft, a displaceable snufier element slidabiy mounted upon said shaft and normally in contact with the match heads of the match unit and means yieldingly opposing displacement of the snuffer element from the match heads longitudinally of the shaft.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a shaft and securing means adjacent to one end of said shaft, a match unit comprising a body and a plurality of headed matches, said matches being mounted upon the body with the heads of the matches extending in a common direction away from the match unit body, said body being held to the shaft by the securing means aforesaid, a snufier element in the form of a flanged plate surrounding the shaft, and means yieldingly retaining the shutter element about and in contact upon the match heads of the match unit.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a shaft and securing means adjacent to one end of said shaft, a match unit comprising a body and a plurality of headed matches, said matches being mounted upon the body with the heads of the matches extending in a common direction away from the match unit body, said body being held to the shaft by the securing means aforesaid, a snuffer element in the form of a flanged plate surrounding the shaft,

' and means yieldingly retaining the snuffer element about and in contact upon the match heads of the match unit, the flange of the plate being spaced from the matches to provide a ledge depressable manually to expose thematch heads.

4. The combination which comprises a match unit and a disc-like snuffer normally in contact, one being movable relative to the other, the match unit comprising a body normally in substantial parallelism with the mean plane of the snuffer, and a series of headed matches attached to the body with the heads of the matches extending from the body toward the snuffer, with the matches disposed at a substantial angle to the plane of the snuffer so that relative movement between the snuffer and the body linearly of the matches will expose the match heads to enable manual detachment of matches from the unit.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination which comprises a base, a spike having an anchoring end fixed to the base, and a threaded screw on the opposite end of the spike, a snuffer element in the form of a dished plate having a circumferential upstanding wall, said snuifer element being centrally apertured to loosely receive the spike at a location beneath the screw threaded end thereof, a match unit including a horizontal body portion of a material into which the threads of the spike may be screwed for mounting of the body portion of the unit atop the spike, said body portion including a circumferential match-mounting area, a series of headed matches fixed to the circumferential match-mounting area of the body portion, with the heads of all the matches directed downwardly toward the snuifer element and within the limits of the upstanding wall thereof, and means for constantly yieldingly urging the snuffer element into contact upon the match heads of the unit.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a shaft and securing means adjacent to one end of the shaft, 2. match unit comprising a body and a plurality of headed matches, said matches being mounted upon the body with the heads of the matches extending lengthwise of the shaft in a common direction away from the match unit body, said body being held to. the shaft by the securing means aforesaid, and a displaceable snufier element of plate-like formation surrounding the shaft and shiftable bodily to and from contact with the extreme ends of substantially all of the match heads lengthwise of the axes of the matches, to selectively cover andv expose the heads of the matches.

ISADORE H. DUBE. 

